Our history

In 2005, community members began developing a long-term community development vision entitled Guiding Grahamtown’s Future. This plan reflects the rich heritage of Grahamtown, a neighborhood rooted in African American sharecropper farms established around 1906 in Forest City, North Carolina.

In 1923, Mr. John Graham (the neighborhood’s namesake) became the first African American to purchase land in the area. His historic purchase marked the beginning of Grahamtown’s transformation from an agricultural settlement into a residential community. Through the 1940s and 1950s, Grahamtown experienced significant growth and became a self-sustaining neighborhood with its own locally owned store, laundromat, barbershop, school, churches, and even a beloved community midwife known as Big Mamma, who delivered many of Grahamtown’s children. During this period, Grahamtown served as a social and cultural hub for Forest City’s African American community.

Beginning in the 1960s, the neighborhood experienced a prolonged period of decline. Younger generations moved away, longtime residents and history-keepers passed on, and new residents often felt disconnected from the community. By the early 2000s, disinvestment and neglect had taken a visible toll.

Around 2006, the tide began to turn. Longtime residents and newcomers united to implement the Guiding Grahamtown’s Future plan with a shared commitment to restoring housing, uplifting residents, and redefining what Grahamtown could become. This collective effort launched the Grahamtown Neighborhood Revitalization initiative and led to the formation of The Grahamtown Team, Inc. (GTeam).

The group intentionally chose the name GTeam rather than “steering committee” or “leadership team,” recognizing that while not everyone saw themselves as a leader, everyone identified as part of a team working toward a common goal. GTeam was tasked with clarifying the neighborhood vision, gathering community data, hosting the Guiding Grahamtown’s Future event, and producing the Grahamtown Neighborhood Revitalization Plan.

The Grahamtown Team (GTeam), in partnership with neighborhood residents and local stakeholders, is committed to restoring and strengthening the historic African American community of Grahamtown, located in the heart of Forest City, NC. Grahamtown is one of the town’s oldest neighborhoods and remains more than 95% African American.

Today, Grahamtown spans approximately 16 blocks and includes about 115 homes. Nearly one-third of these structures are dilapidated, boarded up, or severely deteriorated. Approximately 60–70 homes are currently occupied, while the remaining properties are vacant or undergoing repair.

Our mission is to plan, support, educate, and execute opportunities that enrich the quality of life for the Grahamtown community.

GTeam delivers Healthy Living Programs, including food access initiatives, health and wellness activities, youth programming, and the Healthy Homes Initiative. In 2012, GTeam partnered with the Town of Forest City to secure a $1.4 million Community Development Block Grant. This investment supported housing rehabilitation, sidewalk installation, street lighting, and other infrastructure improvements along Gypsy Street as part of the Guiding Grahamtown’s Future project.

In 2019, GTeam revised its neighborhood improvement strategy to focus more intentionally on property quality, abandoned homes, and vacant land. The Healthy Homes Initiative builds upon earlier revitalization efforts by prioritizing the rehabilitation or removal of unsafe structures and reimagining underutilized land for future community benefit. This work requires collaboration among residents, potential homeowners, investors, grantors, community agencies, Forest City Housing, and the Town of Forest City.

Forest City has a population of approximately 7,162 residents, with 27.6% identifying as Black or African American. An estimated 10–15% of Forest City’s African American population resides in Grahamtown.

While 42% of homes in Forest City are owner-occupied, Grahamtown’s homeownership rate is closer to 30%. GTeam’s goal is to increase homeownership in Grahamtown to 50%, while preserving historic markers and maintaining the culture and identity of current residents.

The median home price in Forest City is approximately $101,400, compared to an average of $47,000–$53,245 in Grahamtown. Median rent in Forest City is $592, while Grahamtown rents average around $500.

Grahamtown’s housing stock is aging rapidly. In 2006, the neighborhood had 141 homes; today, fewer than 120 residential units remain—a loss of approximately 15%. The median year homes were built in Grahamtown is 1958. Less than 20% of homes are in good condition, 50% are deteriorated, and 30% are considered dilapidated under the 50% repair-cost rule.

The neighborhood also includes more than 50 acres of vacant land across approximately 200 lots. Roughly 55% of Grahamtown’s land is vacant, presenting both challenges and opportunities for future development. However, development is complicated by absentee ownership and heir property, where ownership is shared among multiple descendants of deceased property owners.

GTeam actively works to identify property owners, engage heirs, and facilitate conversations about repairing, restoring, or removing unsafe structures. Our vision is a neighborhood with safe homes, shared green spaces, pocket parks, walkable streets, and strong relationships built through communication, community engagement, and mutual care.